Advanced Training Model For Teachers Of Russian (Non-Native) Language And Literature

Abstract

This article summarizes the results of the project work on the creation of a conceptual and systemic-structural model of advanced training for Russian language and literature teachers working in an ethnocultural educational environment. The purpose of the article is to characterize the features of the advanced training model for Russian (non-native) language and Russian (non-native) literature teachers proposed by the authors of the project «Russian Language and Literature in the Ethnocultural Educational Environment» and tested on the basis of Mari State University. This model makes it possible to overcome the current situation in the general flow of Russian philologists and accordingly without taking into account the ethnocultural specifics of Russian philological education in the ethnic multicultural region. The developed model takes into account the specifics of the language environment, which has a significant impact on the process of teaching Russian (non-native) language and literature, and the urgent need to improve the quality of knowledge, skills and abilities of non-Russian children (especially rural) in the field of Russian language and literature. The article also summarizes the results of the questionnaire survey of course participants and the results of monitoring their opinion during the round table «Russian language and literature in the ethnocultural educational environment: experience and prospects»; the ways to further improve and promotion the developed model of advanced training of Russian language teachers working in the ethnocultural educational environment are outlined.

Keywords: Ethnocultural educational environment, interregional model of teachers’ advanced training, philological educational technologies and methods, Russian (non-native) language and russian (non-native) literature, supplementary vocational education

Introduction

This article summarizes the results of the project work to create an interregional model of advanced training course for the Russian language and literature teachers working in an ethnocultural educational environment.

The teachers advanced training model is based on the supplementary vocational educational program «Russian language and literature in the ethnocultural educational environment» (Kudryavtseva, 2017), which includes three compulsory modules:

  • Ethnocultural and multicultural educational environment: theory and practice with a obligatory general characteristic of the ethnocultural and multicultural educational environment, professional qualities of a bilingual teacher, as well as familiarization with the practical experience of schools, which are an ethnocultural and multicultural educational environment, etc.;
  • Current problems of the modern Russian language and Russian literature in the socio-cultural context with obligatory attention to current aspects and modern practices of analysis of Russian literary classics; with Mari-Russian bilingualism, region’s Russian-language literature, modern mass media technologies related to the Russian language, etc. (About the state language of the Russian Federation, 2021);
  • Technologies and methods of teaching the Russian language and literature in the ethnocultural environment with a obligatory introduction of modern technologies and methods of teaching the Russian language and literature in the ethnocultural and polyethnic environment, modern means of assessing the results of teaching philological disciplines, with a comparative analysis of works of Russian and national (in our case – Mari) literatures at school, with the studying questions of the State Final Examination by the Russian language and literature in the ethnocultural educational environment, new aspects of philological education (for example, linguoculturological education), etc.

Problem Statement

In framework of implementation of the project, the following types of work were planned and carried out:

1) at the first (preparatory) stage (May – November 2017):

  • development and implementation of a general mechanism for approbation of content of additional professional educational program for advanced training «Russian language and literature in the ethnocultural educational environment», including approval of an additional professional educational program for advanced training «Russian language and literature in the ethnocultural educational environment» at a meeting of the Mari State University’s Academic Council and at a meeting of the Scientific and Methodological Council of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Mari El Republic. By the decision of the Scientific and Methodological Council of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Mari El Republic, the program was included in the regional bank of programs and educational modules of advanced training of Leading and Pedagogical Staff of Education System, what obliges educational authorities to take into account advanced training courses «Russian language and literature in an ethnocultural educational environment» (38 hours) when assigning a qualification category to teachers;
  • creating an information data base about schools with Russian (non-native) and native (non-Russian) languages of instruction in the Mari El Republic and the Russian Federation’ regions with a compact residence of the Mari population, studying a potential contingent of course participants, formation the audience make-up for two streams from the Mari El Republic and areas with a compact residence of the Mari population, including the developing and sending out official information letters from the Mari State University’s Prorector Leuhin A. N. to Departments of Education (ministries) of the Russian Federation territories with compact residence of Mari people (the Republic of Bashkortostan, the Republic of Tatarstan, the Udmurt Republic, the Kirov Region, the Sverdlovsk Region), in the departments of Municipal Education Authorities of the Mari El Republic, telephone and e-mail work with schools;
  • formation of teaching (lecture) staff, holding seminars for teachers on their developing the specific content and forms of academic disciplines (lectures and practical classes) provided by the courses program;
  • formation of a package of scientific and informational, research and methodological materials, including Internet resources, on the topic and problems of courses, including as handouts, their replication;
  • development of booklets: a general booklet of courses (for both streams), as well as a booklet of the scientific and practical seminar «National Presidential Boarding School (the Mari El Republic) is as an ethnocultural and multicultural educational environment» on the basis of the National Presidential Comprehensive Boarding School of Compulsory Education and the National Presidential School of Arts;
  • preparation of a courses announcement for the website of Mari State University and the «Russian World» Foundation;
  • resolving issues related to transfer of course participants to Yoshkar-Ola and the provision of their accommodation in a motel in the city of Yoshkar-Ola.

2) on the second (experimental) stage (December 2017 – January 2018):

  • organization and carrying out of upgrade training courses (the 1st stream, 19 participants), including approval of the schedule of classes, preparation of orders for the Mari State University about the organization of teaching process, about the enrollment of students and the completion of the study, the Minutes of the Qualification Examination, state standard document (certificate) about the passage of advanced training, etc.;
  • organization of questionnaire survey of course participants within the framework of output diagnostics: developing of the questionnaires’ content, conducting and analysis questionnaires, holding of seminar with lecturers on adjusting the content and methodological tools of the course program;
  • preparation of information about the beginning of courses and a press release for the website of the Mari State University, a press release for the website of the «Russian World» Foundation, as well as photo and video reports.

3) at the third (main) stage (January 2018 – February 2018)

  • preparation of an course announcement for the website of the Mari State University and the «Russian World Foundation»;
  • organization and conduct of advanced training courses (the 2nd stream, 24 participants e), including the approval of the schedule of classes, preparation of orders for the Mari State University on the organization of training, on the enrolment of students and on the completion of study course, a document about the passage of advanced training, etc.;
  • organization of questionnaire survey for course participants within the framework of output diagnostics (developing of the questionnaires’ content, conducting and analysis questionnaires);
  • preparation of information about the beginning of the course and a press release for the website of the Mari State University and for the website of the «Russian World» Foundation, photo and video report for the «Russian World» Foundation; organization of course coverage in Mari El TV («Region 12» TV channel).

4) at the fourth (generalizing) stage (February 2018 – March 2018)

  • preparation of the final documents of the Mari State University on the organization and carrying out of courses;
  • summing up the results of organizational, scientific and informational, analytical and diagnostic, documentation work (working meetings of the project participants);
  • formulation of the main theoretical and methodological conclusions related to clarification and solution to the following questions: principles of Russian language and Russian literature training method in the ethnocultural environment; components of the competence model of a Russian language and literature teacher in an ethnocultural educational environment; conceptual principles of advanced training system of such teachers working in educational institutions with native (non-Russian) and Russian (non-native) languages of instruction;
  • compilation of the educational study guide «Russian language and literature in the ethnocultural educational environment» for Russian language and literature teachers, students and philologists, which was not planned within the framework of the project, based on some of the most demanded lecture materials, practicals of course teachers;
  • report preparation about spending grant funds as per their intended purpose.

Research Questions

Within the framework of the project, 43 teachers were trained, including 38 people from the Mari El Republic, 5 people from other territories of the Russian Federation with a compact residence of Mari population (4 people from the Republic of Bashkortostan, 1 person from Kirov region). Admission to the courses was carried out according to teachers’ personal applications addressed to the rector of Mari State University.

39 teachers of the Russian language and literature of general academic schools were trained (this is 9 people more than the planned standards of the grant agreement), as well as 4 teachers of the Russian Language, Literature and Journalism Department of Mari State University, teaching Russian in a multicultural environment for foreign students (3 people) and who teach Russian in the ethnocultural environment of the university for students studying in educational program specialization «Native language and literature» and «Mari language and literature» (1 person). All course participants teach Russian language and literature in a bilingual environment, 37 of them fully understand the Mari language, 2 – simultaneously with the Mari and the Tatar language.

Purpose of the Study

The purpose of the article is to characterize the conceptual, organizational and methodological features of the advanced training model for Russian (non-native) language and Russian (non-native) literature teachers proposed by the authors of the project «Russian Language and Literature in the Ethnocultural Educational Environment» and tested on the basis of Mari State University.

Research Methods

The research methods are description, description, analysis and synthesis.

The courses were held in full-time form (day release training) on the basis of the Institute of National Culture and Intercultural Communication of Mari State University and National Presidential Comprehensive Boarding School of Compulsory Education

The following lecturers were involved in the courses:

  • 5 doctors of science and 9 candidates of sciences;
  • 12 lecturers of Mari State University are the main employees of the university, they are specialists in the field of Russian and comparative philology, philological education. This made the project interdepartmental, uniting the scientific and educational potential of the entire university, and resonant both in the university and for its outside;
  • 4 involved lecturers are well-known specialists in the field of general and additional education.

As a result of the courses, 43 certificates of Mari State University on advanced training as per standard form were issued.

Strictly in accordance with the additional professional educational program for advanced training «Russian language and literature in the ethnocultural educational environment» and the course program attached to the grant agreement (38 hours for each stream), the following training lessons, paid through the «Russian World» Foundation, were developed and conducted:

1) lectures:

  • General characteristics of ethnocultural and multicultural educational environment (2 hours)
  • Professional qualities of a bilingual teacher (2 hours)
  • Russian language in modern mass media technologies (2 hours)
  • Topical aspects and modern practices of Russian literary classics analysis (4 hours)
  • Mari-Russian bilingualism: switching and mixing codes (2 hours)
  • Linguoculturological education (2 hours)
  • Modern assessment means of assessing the educational outcomes of philological disciplines (2 hours)
  • Modern education technology of teaching the Russian language in ethnocultural and multiethnic environment (2 hours)
  • Technologies and Russian literature teaching methods in ethnocultural and multicultural environment (2 hours)
  • Preparation for the State Final Certification in Russian language and literature in ethnocultural educational environment (2 hours)

2) Practicals:

  • National Presidential Boarding School (the Mari El Republic) is as an ethnocultural and multicultural educational environment (6 hours). Practicals were held in the form of a republican scientific and practical seminar with demonstration lessons of teachers of the National Presidential Comprehensive Boarding School of Compulsory Education.
  • Topical aspects and modern practices of the Russian literary classics analysis (2 hours)
  • Mari El’s Russian word: development trends, creative quests and achievements of Russian provincial literature (2 hours)
  • Comparative analysis of Russian and Mari literature works at school (2 hours).

In addition, as part of the courses programme, the project participants organized: 1) «Russian language and literature in an ethnocultural educational environment: experience and prospects» round table, during which the problems of teaching the Russian language as a non-native and state language in educational institutions and as a foreign language at the university were identified, the prospects of teaching the Russian language in the framework of the new educational discipline «Russian is as a state language» are shown; 2) end-of-course assessment in the form of pass-fail exam (group interview).

The following questions were offered to the participants for the final assessment:

1. What is an ethnocultural educational environment? What difficulties Russian language and literature teachers have in such an environment?

2. Why is it important for a teacher working in an ethnocultural educational environment to know two languages (be bilingual)?

3. Evaluate the experience of the National Presidential Boarding School (the Mari El Republic) as an ethnocultural and multicultural educational environment.

4. Main features of the Mari-Russian bilingualism. How do you understand code switching and mixing?

5. Distinctive features of the Russian language in modern mass technologies.

6. What does linguoculturology as a scientific discipline study?

7. What is the specifics of linguoculturological education?

8. Ways of forming metasubject skills in the process of teaching Russian language at school.

9. Name the most effective modern technologies of teaching the Russian language in ethnocultural and multiethnic environment. Justify your answer.

10. What technologies and teaching methods of Russian literature are the most effective in an ethnocultural and multicultural environment?

11. What are the advantages and disadvantages of non-traditional assessment means of assessing the educational outcomes of philological disciplines?

12. Comparative literary studies and literary education in the ethnocultural environment. Possible parallels between Russian and Mari literature in different classes.

13. Name the most interesting in art, educational plan authors of the Russian provincial literature of the Mari El Republic, your regions with a compact residence of the Mari population. Justify your answer, illustrate with specific works.

14. Peculiarities of preparing students for State Final Certification in the Russian language in an ethnocultural educational environment.

15. Peculiarities of preparing students for State Final Certification in the Russian literature in an ethnocultural educational environment.

16. Are graduates of comprehensive education organizations with a native (non-Russian) and Russian (non-native) languages of instruction able to cope with the tasks of the Final State Attestation to the required degree? What are the difficulties and what are the ways to overcome them?

17. What are the ways (mechanisms) for philological education development in the ethnocultural and regional multicultural environment?

18. Your suggestions for improving the qualifications of the Russian language and literature teachers in comprehensive educational organizations with native (non-Russian) and Russian (non-native) languages of instruction or in professional educational organizations with an ethnocultural component.

Findings

All course participants, taking into account their attendance at classes and answers to the above-mentioned questions, were certified, what is confirmed by the minutes of the final certification.

Scientific and educational results of the courses:

1) The content of scholarly knowledge and practical skills and abilities of teachers in the field of linguistic, literary, communicative and pedagogical competencies related to the theories and methodologies of teaching Russian language and literature at school has been significantly expanded by introducing a variety of material about the ethnocultural and multicultural environment and principles, technologies of the Russian language and Russian literature targeted teaching.

2) Based on knowledge, skills and abilities of the graduate of the «Russian language and literature in the ethnocultural educational environment» courses the key (mandatory) components of the competency based model of the Russian language and literature teacher in the ethnocultural educational environment are determined.

The student who has completed the course knows and is able to use / take into account modern scientific data on general philology, Russian language, literature and teaching methods of philological disciplines; peculiarities of the ethnocultural and multiethnic educational environment of the country and region (Sakhieva & Fedorova, 2016); principles and mechanisms of intercultural interaction; professional competence of a Russian language and literature teacher working in an ethnocultural and multiethnic educational environment; types and forms of pedagogical activity in the Russian language and literature in an ethnocultural and multicultural environment; the ways to increase the effectiveness of educational activities in the Russian language and literature in an ethnocultural and multicultural environment (Fedorova & Medvedev, 2014); innovative, information and communicative teaching methods of the Russian language and literature in an ethnocultural and multiethnic environment. He must have ability to adapt modern knowledge of general philology, the Russian language, literature and the methods of teaching philological disciplines to an ethnocultural and multi-ethnic educational environment; to use extension mechanisms of spheres of functioning the Russian language as a conditions of success integration processes and create optimal conditions for the ethnosocial and cultural development of bilingual students; to use different methods and techniques of analysis and interpretation of the Russian-language literary material of the Mari El Republic; to motivate oneself to improve professional skills, taking into account the national and cultural characteristics of the region and country; to work within the framework of scientific, methodological and creative interaction in cooperation with Russian language and literature teachers of the multiethnic educational environment. The most important component of the competence model of the Russian language and Russian literature teacher in the ethnocultural educational environment is bilingualism.

3) A meaningful model of advanced training of educators on the issue of teaching the Russian language as a non-native and Russian (non-native) literature in institutions of general and vocational education has been created and tested. The basis of the teacher training model is the professional educational program «Russian language and literature in the ethnocultural educational environment».

The project was evaluated in two ways:

1) questionnaire-based survey (output diagnosis) of course participants after they have mastered the entire advanced training program in the first and second streams;

2) monitoring of course participants’ opinions about the courses during the round work table «Russian language and literature in the ethnocultural educational environment: experience and prospects» (moderators Kudryavtseva R. A., Kartashova E. P., Belyaeva T. N.).

Results of the questionnaires (output diagnosis)

A total of 42 people were interviewed.

These are general conclusions based on the results of the survey:

  • Among the factors that determined the choice of these courses by the participants, the most significant was the content of courses offered to teachers.
  • There are no students who are not satisfied with the courses, almost all participants are fully (and not partially) satisfied with the courses. According to two indicators (time frame of the courses, creating a positive psychological atmosphere in classes), 100% satisfaction with the courses was obtained.
  • The following topics were recognized by participants as especially relevant (necessary) for the use of materials in practical work: «Studying questions of the State Final Examination of the Russian language and literature in the ethnocultural educational environment» (83.3%) and «Comparative analysis of Russian and Mari literature works at school» (78.6%).
  • Almost 100% of the participants believe that the specificity of the ethnocultural educational environment and the specificity of teaching Russian (non-native) language and Russian (non-native) literature were fully and sufficiently reflected in the content of lectures and practical classes.
  • None of the students saw such negative moments as the inconsistency the topic read by the lecturer with the topic stated in the curriculum (schedule), lack of orientation to a specific category of teaching staff, lack of speech culture skills, lack of skills to work with audience of listeners, lack of logic in the presentation of educational material.
  • All listeners realized their needs in relation to advanced training to one degree or another, about half of the participants (47.6%) noted that their needs were realized even more than they had hoped.

The results of the questionnaire survey and monitoring of participants’ opinions, who unanimously recognized the relevance, scientific and practical significance of the problem posed in the project, the goals of the project (testing the conceptual and systemic-structural model of advanced training of educator s on teaching Russian language as a foreign language and Russian non-native literature), open up good prospects for further development of the project and using its results after funding is completed.

The further continuation of the project is seen by us as follows:

1) publication of scientific articles summarizing the obtained scientific and theoretical results;

2) follow-on revision and replication (edition) of the educational and methodological study guide «Russian language and literature in the ethnocultural educational environment» (Kudryavtseva et al., 2018) prepared during the advanced training courses;

3) the use of the developed model of advanced training in the activities of institutions that carry out additional professional education of Russian language and literature teachers in the Mari El Republic (universities, Institutes of Additional and Professional Education, Professional Postgraduate Education Institutions, etc.), as well as in the activities of methodological associations of municipalities and general education institutions;

4) dissemination of this experience of teaching educators of the Russian language and literature to other multi-ethnic regions of the Russian Federation;

5) retransmission of this model to improve the qualifications of teachers of other humanitarian subjects (history, social studies, history and culture of peoples, the Mari language and literature, etc.);

6) development on the basis of this model, its concept and structure a program of advanced training courses for teachers of higher educational institutions working in a multicultural educational environment.

Conclusion

The model is ready for further practical use. The field of its application is additional vocational education (advanced training of teaching staffs). This model makes it possible to overcome the ineffective practice (which has developed in the Republic of Mari El and other national subjects of the Russian Federation) of advanced training by school teachers with an ethnocultural component in the in a common flow of Russian philologists and, accordingly, without taking into account the ethnocultural specifics of Russian philological education in the ethnic space of a multicultural region. This developed model takes into account the specifics of the language environment, which has significant influence on the process of teaching Russian (non-native) language and literature, and the urgent need to improve the quality of knowledge, skills and abilities of non-Russian children (especially rural ones) in the field of Russian language and literature.

References

  • About the state language of the Russian Federation. (2021). What is the state Russian language – two aspects of one concept. St. Petersburg University. The Russian language is like a state language. Retrieved May 1, 2021 from http://rus-gos.spbu.ru/index.php/bills/about/

  • Fedorova, S. N., & Medvedev, Z. V. (2014). Ethnocultural educational technologies: essence, components, methods of use in civic and national education of youth: monograph. Mari State University. Yoshkar-Ola.

  • Kudryavtseva, R. A. (2017). Additional professional educational program for advanced training «Russian Language and Literature in Ethnocultural Educational Environment». Mari State University, Yoshkar-Ola.

  • Kudryavtseva, R. A., Arefieva, O. V., & Arefieva, S. A. (2018). Russian language and literature in the ethnocultural educational environment: study guide. Mari State University, Yoshkar-Ola.

  • Sakhieva, R. G., & Fedorova, S. N. (2016). Structural-Functional Model of Ethnocultural Training of Future Educators: Competency-Based Approach. International Journal of Environmental and Science Education, 11(9), 2785-2798.

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Publication Date

25 September 2021

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Economics, social trends, sustainability, modern society, behavioural sciences, education

Cite this article as:

Kudryavtseva, R. A., & Belyaeva, T. N. (2021). Advanced Training Model For Teachers Of Russian (Non-Native) Language And Literature. In I. V. Kovalev, A. A. Voroshilova, & A. S. Budagov (Eds.), Economic and Social Trends for Sustainability of Modern Society (ICEST-II 2021), vol 116. European Proceedings of Social and Behavioural Sciences (pp. 1546-1555). European Publisher. https://doi.org/10.15405/epsbs.2021.09.02.172